HTC has been quiet for a long time, Wang want to turn over still have difficulty?

The dormant HTC has been acting frequently.

In February this year, HTC unveiled HTC One M9 on 2015 MWC, and Wang said: "If there are only 2 mobile phone makers left in the future, HTC is among them," then HTC chief marketing officer Idris Mootee publicly shelled millet, saying "their business model will be short-lived" (very short Lifespan). "Immediately thereafter, March 20, HTC announced chairman Wang as CEO, and former CEO Peter Chou" focused on strategic development. "

So can HTC become the future of mobile phone manufacturers in the survival of the "? Wang president and CEO of HTC can get rid of market dilemma? Can HTC "salted fish" in the mainland market?

So far, in the largest smartphone market share in China, the 2014 HTC Market ranking has dropped 10, the share of only about 1% (data). In the US market, HTC also fell out of the top 5, after Chinese handset makers ZTE and Motorola (Lenovo).

Performance level, the latest earnings showed HTC fourth quarter revenue of NT $47.9 billion (about 1.52 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year growth of 12%, net profit of NT $500 million (about 15.88 million U.S. dollars), down 20%.

From the data, HTC is still not out of market crisis in the key 2014 years. So Wang "if the future handset manufacturers only 2, HTC is one of the" confidence from where?

"One observation" in September 2013 one-on-one interview with Wang, in the one-hour dialogue, Wang elaborated the views are as follows:

1, adhere to the existing product layout

"One observation," said: HTC in the Chinese mobile phone market has been criticized as "underachievement", high-end products lack of competitiveness with Apple and Samsung, the entry-level market under the thousand Yuan is "vacancy."

Wang to this response said: HTC in high-end product layout is not a problem, but the domestic brand marketing and channel sales did not keep up, leading to HTC product selling point is not fully communicated to domestic users. HTC is still "stuck" in the smartphone market under the lower-end thousand, because "HTC has no DNA for low-end products".

2, strengthen the brand marketing

"One observation," said: Compared with Samsung, Apple, HTC in recent years to brand marketing investment, especially in the mainland market lack of effective marketing tools.

Wang said: Fully agree with this criticism. HTC's high-end products have been improving, but marketing has been "very poor". Compared with Samsung, HTC does not convey the characteristics and differences of products accurately to consumers, do not do is the truth. HTC spent 12 million dollars on a global marketing agreement with "Iron Man" Jr. Robert Downey Jr.

3, strengthen the cooperation of operators

Wang said HTC will strengthen cooperation with the three major domestic operators at high-end and midrange products, especially 4 G will become an important opportunity for HTC in the domestic market.

4, strengthen the hardware configuration

Wang said that from a professional point of view, the smartphone development to the present stage, the simple hardware index to become more manufacturers hype "gimmick" for ordinary users to use no meaning, but increased spending. HTC has more to do with OS, software and hardware to play the whole function of the phone. But from the current situation, domestic users are obviously more accustomed to "hardware index."

5. Increase the decision-making power in China

HTC China did not have much decision-making power over products and marketing, and needed more involvement from headquarters to slow its response to the mainland market.

Wang responded that from the enterprise point of view, you say a lot of questions we all understand, but in the process of implementation of the problem, we have some things in the past do not really good, so we have to learn. For HTC in the mainland market, the shift needs to be faster, which is the most pressing issue for HTC at the moment.

If you look back at this interview now, you can find:

1, in Wang insist, HTC in 2014 although launched a 1500-2000 yuan products, but with millet, glory, such as the charm of competitors at 1699-1999 Yuan Price of the flagship products are almost uncompetitive. In the low-end market because of the complete lack of layout, HTC Market share 2014 still did not enter the top 10 of the mainland market. And in the high-end market, Wang focus on the same as Apple and Samsung flag ship products of the same high pricing strategy, leading to sales of flagship products, channel sales capacity decline, and even began to be Huawei Mate 7 and other flagship models of repression.

2, Brand marketing, because the company's top view that the "business model of millet" will be very short-lived (very short lifespan), so the entire 2014 in the mainland market internet marketing and social media interaction, almost no action, from the mainland young consumers increasingly distant.

"One Watch" visited Beijing in the past year, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing and other regional markets found that the Apple model of the parallel market is still hot, millet model line under the channel is still in roasted seeds and nuts, but the premium ability began to decline, and Huawei relies on and millet "close-fitting hand-to-hand combat", online and offline brand premium capacity significantly improved. HTC, by contrast, does not only have no genuine offline premium capabilities, but also a rapid contraction in the previous parallel market, indicating that HTC's brand capacity in mainland China fell very fast in 2014 and is no longer being watched by active young consumers.

3, the biggest change in the mainland smartphone market in 2014 years is that operators significantly reduce terminal subsidies. HTC has previously been in the mainland licensed market mainly through operator subsidy sales, while in the open market and electricity channels lack of input. HTC has so far lacked a clear response to the changes in the operator's environment.

4, from HTC One M8 began, HTC back to the "hardware configuration" strategy, but this strategy has been mainland enterprises completed the "Red Sea Market", HTC This strategy effect is not obvious. And in the key software ROM domain, compared to MIUI, FlyMe and other competitors, HTC sense has been not favored by mainland users.

5, in the mainland market, according to HTC Partners revealed that both before the Ningweiguang or the current person in fact there is no direct market decision-making power, Wang and HTC China's high-level communication between the not smooth. From the high-end market comparable to Apple Samsung product pricing strategy, the thousand-yuan machine market does not enter, shelling millet mode and other realistic situation, Wang and its executive team is not really clear about the mainland smartphone market 2014, the profound changes in the Bureau. And the real HTC from the Chinese market has arrived at the most dangerous moment, Wang should face the mainland market to make profound changes.